Expansion-comb.



1?. WILSON.

EXPANSION COMB.

APPLIOATION FILED mm: s, 1911.

Patented Ja11.2,1912.

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EXPANSION 00MB. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8, 1911.

Patented-Jan. 2, 1912.

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PAUL WILSON, 0E MAYNARD, MA$SAGHUSETTS.

EXPANSION-COMB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL WILSON, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Maynard, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Expansion-Comb, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention is an expansion comb for warping, beaming and other textilemachines, and it has for its object to provide an improved constructionof this sort which will more securely, support the teeth or dents of thecomb and permit of the distance between the teeth being more readilyadjusted to suit the various conditions that arise in actual practice.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis speci fication, in which the same characters of reference indicatethe same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan of my improved expansion comb, part of the casingin which.

the same is mounted being broken away to show the manner in which thecomb is sup.- ported; Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of theparts shown on Fig. 1, the casing and the adjusting mechanism at one endthereof being shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsection on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse verticalsectionon the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a side view of a modification; Fig.6 is a transverse vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5; and Fig. 7is an elevational view of part of the supporting framework or base forthe comb teeth which is illustrated on Fig. 5.

On the drawings, 1 indicates a tubular casing'having caps 2 closing theends there-- of, and containing a pair of longitudinally movable bars 3.arranged side by side and having wrapped around the same a number ofsuitable spiral springs 4. These spiral springs 4 are preferably four innumber, and they are arranged in pairs indicated by the referencecharacters 4* and 4 the springs constituting the pair 4 having a commonlongitudinal axis, and the springs constituting the other pair 4 alsohaving a common longitudinal axis, these springs when placed on the bars3 occupying such a position that the axis of the pair 4? will lie-on oneside of the axis of the casing 1, and the axis of Specification ofLetters Patent.

Application filed. June 8, 1911.

Patented Jan. 2, 1912. Serial No. 631,918.

the pair P will lie on the opposite side of the axis of the casing, asindicated on Fig. 4. The teeth or dents of the comb are shown at 6,these dents consisting of strips of metal, and they are placed betweenthe bars 3 in such a way that their fiat sides will be perpendicular tothe inner surfaces of these bars, and the ends of the dents will passout between the springs, so as to be firmly held by these springs intheir proper places. As shown on Fig. 1, the dents pass outward betweenthe coils of the springs constituting the pair indicated by thereference character i at one side of the casing, and their opposite endspass out between the coils of the springs constituting the pair 4* atthe other side of the casing. Spacing rods 5 are employed, one beingplaced above and one below the bars 3, as shown on Fig. 4, to sepa ratethe springs 4* from the springs 4 and atthe same time to-make thesesprings fit tightly. on the bars 3. When these springs are first put onthe bars they fit loosely thereon. and allow the dents 6 to be readilyslipped through their coils to facilitate the assembling of the combstructure, but when the bars are inserted the two pairs of springs aremoved laterally in opposite directions, causing the coils to tightenthemselves around the outside surfaces of the bar 3, having the effectof forcing the bars 3 into tighter engagement with the lateral edges ofthe dents 6, and at the same time keeping these dents spaced the properdistance apart through the coils of the springs passing be tween thedents.

.Thebars 3 have longitudinal slots 7, one

of these slots being in each bar, as shown on" Fig. 2, and the slots inthe bars being located at opposite ends, as shown. Each of theseslotsengages a pin 8 mounted in the 'adjacent unslotted end of theneighboring bar to permit thesebars to be moved longitudinally of eachother, and at the same time to be guided-by each other and thus preventlateral displacement. The ends of the bars further are connected tostrips 9, there being one of these strips for each end of the bars 3,fastened firmly thereto. These strips are secured firmly at their outerends to rotatable spindles 10 mounted in projections 11 forming part ofthe caps 3. These spindles 10 at each end of the casing 1 are mountedone above the other, as shown on Fig. 2, and each of these spindles 10carries a ratchet wheel 12. These ratchet wheels 12 are arranged to beon opposite sides of the casing 1 at each end, and are placed adjacenthandwheels 13, by means of which the spindles 10 are operated. Eachratchet wheel is engaged by a pawl 16, this pawl being in the shape of abell-crank lever pivoted at 17 on the side ofthe end caps 2; and theouter end of each pawl is joined to a spring 18 connected to aprojection 19 on the caps 2. When each pawl is in position to engage itsratchet 12, the spring 19 will exert a pull on one side of the pivot 17to keep the pawl. 16 in engaging position. WVhen each pawl is disengagedfrom the ratchet 12, it will occupy such position that the spring 19will exert a pull on the other side of the pivot 17 and keep it in suchdisengaged position.

By means of the handwheels 13, the spindles l0 and the strips 9, whichmay be metal bands if desired, the bars 3 can be moved in eitherdirection, oppositely with respect to each other of course, to widen thespaces between the dents 6, or to narrow them, as required. Referring toFig. 2, the bar shown on this figure as the upper bar will be connectedby the bands 9 to the'two upper spindles 10, one being at either end ofthe pivoted casing 1. The bar shown as the lower bar will be connectedto the lower spindles 10 at either end of the casing. To expand thecomb, the pawl 16 which cooperates with the upper ratchet wheel 12 atthe right of the casing 1 is thrown out of engagement with this ratchet,and the same is done with respect to the pawl 16 which engages with theratchet wheel on the lower spindle 10 at the left. By turning on theupper handwheel 13 at the left on this figure, the upper bar 3 will bepulled to the left, and by turning on the lower wheel 13 at the right ofthe casing on Fig. 2, the lower bar 3 will be pulled to the right. Thiswill move the pins or bolts 8 farther apart, and the result will be thatthe springs 4 will be stretched. This will of course widen the spacesbetween the dents 6. To effect the reverse operation, the

..pawl for the lower ratchet 12 at the right is released to permit thelower bar 3 to move to the left when the lower handwheel 12 at the leftof the casing 1 is operated. The pawl for the upper ratchet 12 at theleft of the casing is also released, and in consequence when the upperhandwheel 13 at the right of the casing 1 is turned, the upper bar 3will be moved to the right. This will bring the pins 8 closer together,compressing the springs 4: and narrowing the spaces between the dents 6.

As shown on Figs. 1 to .4 inclusive, the dents 6 pass outward throughone side of the casing, the casing being cut away on one side to giveaccess to the inside of the same. Suitable recesses 6 are formed in theupper and lower edges of the cut-away portion to receive the dents 6,and a suitable lid or cover to inclose the opening can be employed ifdesired.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 illustrate a modification, in which I employ atransverse end piece 21, to which are connected longitudinal bars 20.These bars are rigidly joined to opposite faces of the transverse endpiece 21, and have longitudinal slots 25 formed therein between thetransverse end piece 21 and their outer ends. 22 is a similar transverseend piece, to which are joined bars 23,'the upper bar 23 lying behindthe upper bar 20, and the lower bar 23 fitting in front of the lower bar20, as shown in Fig. 7 Bolts 24 in the outer ends of the bars 23 move inthe slots 25 in the bars 20, and similar bolts 26 in the outer ends ofthe bars 20 slide in suitable slots 27 in the opposite portions of thebars 23. 28 are adjusting screws which are connected to the end pieces21 and 22, these bolts fitting in holes formed in these end pieces, andbeing secured in any suitable way to permit them to turn freely in theseholes without being displaced therefrom. These bolts 28 are threaded,and have milled heads 29 on their outer ends to permit the same to beturned. They pass through threaded apertures in supports 30, and permitthe adjustment of the comb teeth. this form two sets of springs areused, each set consisting of four springs, as in the form shown in theprevious figures, and each set of four springs being wound around one of*the bars 23 and one of the bars 20. Spacing and tightening rods 5 areused as in the preceding instance, and each set of springs is dividedinto pairs 4 and pairs 4 the members of each pair receiving the dents 6between them along the top and bottom edges of the bars '20 and 23.

It will be evident that by turning the adjusting screws 28 so as toforce the transverse end pieces 21 and 22 toward each other, the springswill be stretched to increase the spaces between the dents 6, while bydrawing the end pieces 21 and 22 apart, these same spaces will benarrowed.

On all the figures I have shown the dents 6 as projecting in only onedirection from the supporting framework, but obviously I may make themproject in both directions, so as to form a double expansion comb ifdesired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent: V

1. An expansion comb for textile machines, comprising a pair of barsmounted one beside the other and spaced apart, the

dents or teeth of said comb being received 11]. the space between sa1dbars, a pair of spiral springs, wound around said bars, the

dents of said comb passing outward between the coils of said pair ofsprings in one direction, and another pair of coiled springs woundaround said bars, the dents of said comb passing outward between thecoils of said second-named pair of springs in the opposite direction.

2. An expansion comb for textile machines, comprising a pair of barsarranged side by side and spaced apart from each other, the dentsof-said comb being received in the space between said bars, a pair of,

chines, the combination of a pair of bars arranged longitudinally sideby side and spaced apart, dents received in the space between said bars,coiled springs wound around said bars, the opposite-ends of said dentspassing outward between the coils of said springs, said bars having pinand slot engagement with each other, the coils of said springs beingengaged by the pins, whereby, when the bars are moved longitudinallywith respect to each other, the springs will be stretched or compressedto expand or contract said comb.

4. In an expansion comb for textile machines, the combination of a pairof bars ar ranged side by side longitudinally of each other and spacedapart, the dents or teeth of said comb being received in the spacebetween said bars, spiral springs wound around said bars, the oppositeends of the dents or teeth of said comb passing outward between thecoils of said spiral. springs, and spacing and tightening rods passinglongitudinally through said springs and arranged between the coilsthereof to cause the springs to be in tight engagement with said bars,said bars having pin and slot engagement with each other, the pins ofsaid pin and slot engagement engaging the coils of said springs,whereby, when the bars are moved longitudinally with respect to eachother, the springs will be stretched or compressed to expand or contractsaid comb.

5. In an expansion comb for textile machines, the combination of acasing, a pair of bars arranged side by side longitudinally of eachother in said casing and spaced apart, dents or teeth located betweensaid bars, a pair of spiral springs inclosing said bars, said dents orteeth passing outward between the coils of said pair of springs in onedirection, a second pair of spiral springs inclosing said bars, thedents or teeth of the comb passing outward between the coils of saidsecond-named pair of springs in the opposite direction, said bars havingpin and slot engagement with each other, the pins engaging the coils ofsaid springs, a spindle arranged adjacent each end of each of said bars,means connected rigidly to the ends of said bars at one end and to thespindles at the other end, and means for operating said spindles inpairs, to cause the bars to-move either to stretch or compress thesprings to expand or contract said comb.

6. An expansion comb comprising a tubular casing, bars arranged side byside longitudinally in said casing, said bars being spaced apart, teethor dents located between said bars, a, pair of spiral springs inclosingsaid bars, the teeth or dents passing outward between the coils of saidpair of springs in one direction, a second pair of spiral springs alsowound upon said bars,

the teeth or dents passing outward between the coils of saidsecond-named pair of springs in the opposite direction, said bars havingpin and slot engagement with each other, the pins engaging the coils ofthe springs also, end caps for said casing, transverse spindles mountedin said end caps and arranged adjacent each end of each of said bars,flexible means connecting each end of said bars to one of said spindles,a pawl and ratchet and a handwheel on each of said spindles, said pawlsbeing releasable, whereby the opposite ends of the bars can be releasedand motion transmitted to the other ends of said bars through thehandwheels and spindles to cause said bars to move in oppositedirections to stretch or compress said springs to expand or contractsaid comb.

7. In a comb for textile machines, the combination of a plurality ofdents spaced apart, a pair of spiral springs, said dents passing outwardbetween the coils of said spiral springs in one direction, and a secondpair of spiral springs, said dents passing outward between the coils ofsaid second pair of spiral springs in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL WILSON.

Witnesses:

SIDNEY E. MGCLEARY, FRANK H. SMITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

